Biggest success as a console?

[migo]

In the line of the failure thread, which is the biggest success, both handheld and home?

Would it be the NES/Famicom for rebooting the video game industry and making Nintendo a household name? The GameBoy for starting Nintendo's dominance in the handheld market and carrying them through the tough times when Sony was around? The PS1 for setting up Sony as a dominant player in the console arena, or the PS2 for being the most sold console in current history?

[NayusDante]

I think that the biggest success must be measured in raw sales and profitability. A huge innovation does nothing without sales. I would love to say the NES for its industry impact and legacy, but the sales don't support it enough in the face of the others.

The PSX is a great console, but it was only "preaching to the choir." The PS2 opened the door to a true mass market. Its sustained growth over a decade is certainly worth noting, and whether the Wii can surpass it is still unknown. I see the PS2 as the BetaMax of gaming, with consoles before it being akin to film and other early home video formats. I see the Wii as VHS, but how long before DVD replaces it?

As for handhelds, the DS wins with 128.89 million units shipped, over the 118 million Game Boys and 89 Million GBAs. However, the iPhone is quickly driving toward these numbers.

[migo]

I don't accept those sale splits. DSi is to DS as GBA is to GB. If all DSi sales are included in the DS, then GBA sales should be included with the GB, in which case you're talking 200 Million GameBoys.

[Arkhan]

The PCE CD is a massive success to me as it paved the way for CD based consoles that weren't retarded.

It didn't do so hot in the states, but it (and the PCE itself) tore through Japan



Also the PS2, as it has had probably the best run of any console.

It has been out over 10 years now and has still gotten new titles just this year.

However, the iPhone is quickly driving toward these numbers.

Whooop deee dooo. It isn't a console.

You do realize many people buy the iPhone for the OTHER things it does, like checking email / internet stuff, and yknow, being a PHONE.

[NayusDante]

GBA is a completely different architecture to GB. DSi is the difference between GB and GBC, but that's a stretch.

You can't lump an original architecture from 2000 in with one from 1990 that had seen several revisions.

[migo]

Hmm, you're right. GBC has 2x the CPU clock and 4x the RAM of the GB, same as the DSi to DS.

Still, I'd rather see the sales split up between GB and GBC and DS and DSi as well.

I mean putting the PS1 and PSone together and the PS2 and PS2 Slim together makes sense, they're just repackaging of the same internal hardware and play the same games, but the GB and GBC are significantly different.

[Gavica]

nes

/end thread

[migo]

Whooop deee dooo. It isn't a console.

Apple's been marketing it as such since the 3G, and the iPod touch 2G even moreso as a game system. Their largest App store category is games, and the Gyroscope included in the iPhone 4 is specifically for gaming purposes. Not to mention, with the internet, online gaming is a key component of a game system, so having phone integration makes perfect sense. If you want to look at straight up game sales, look at the iPod touch, not everyone gets one as a gaming system either, but a lot more people get an iPod touch for gaming than the iPhone.

You do realize many people buy the iPhone for the OTHER things it does, like checking email / internet stuff, and yknow, being a PHONE.

It sucks pretty bad as a phone, and is mediocre as a PDA, gaming is its strongest point. And, it has such a massive game library that it has more good games than the PSP has including crappy games.

There's also a lot of people who buy it for gaming but won't admit it. If you've got an iPhone it doesn't necessarily look like you're playing games. You could be typing on an app, or browsing the net if someone isn't looking over your shoulder, so among adults in certain circles it's more acceptable. That's an area the Zodiac 2 failed in - it was supposed to go for business people but the problem was it clearly looked like a game device (something the Casio E-100 - E-125 also worked for, as it had a good layout for emulation but still was obviously a PDA and gaming wasn't imediately obvious).

[TheClash603]

Gameboy has to be the winner here.

Though the DS sold more, it was solely based on Nintendo already being known as THE best in handhelds, which is all because of the Gameboy,

I like the Genesis for taking on the SNES and winning at times, and the Atari 2600 for starting the console revolution; but these are obviously smaller success stories that don't add up to the huge numbers generated by Gameboy,

[migo]

I think the interesting thing with the Genesis is they're still able to ride it, as you can see with PlaySega. Obviously that's not anywhere near the success that Nintendo has had, but unlike Atari with the 2600, Sega has a lasting legacy from the Genesis.

[Doonzmore]

PS2: Ten year anniversary coming up and still 10 games or so on the release docket. Led the market against Xbox, Gamecube and Dreamcast and still hung in there after more powerful consoles were released.

Nes: Revitalized the gaming industry and had a 8-9 year run in NA.

Anything with the name Game Boy attached. Two reasons, TETRIS and POKEMON.

Wii: Sales are phenomenal and its reaching a whole new audiences. I hear a lot older people express there love for it and will only play interactive games for it. Brilliant stroke for Nintendo.

[migo]

I'm really not so sure about Tetris being a big deal as it's made out to be. Yes it was a great game, but when the GameBoy launched the only game I cared about was Super Mario Land.

Pokemon's a clear cut winner for the GBC though, and I don't think the GBA had anything like that.

[pepharytheworm]

I know its not a console but I would like to add the Commodore 64. Best selling, longest running personal computer 1982-1994.

Besides that PS2 is the most succsessful selling console. Where I would give the NES the most successful period, I have a feeling it far surpassed expectations of the time, sells aren't the only measure of success.

[migo]

Yeah, I was thinking about the Commodore 64 as well, the first home system I played a game on was a C64. I actually played on a Lynx before a GameBoy, so there's a bit of nostalgia for me there too.

When comparing sales it's always difficult because as time goes on there are more people. It used to be one TV in a household, now it's up to 1 TV per room in some places, and people are buying multiples of the same console. I doubt in the NES days you'd have a household with two NESes, but I've got two PS2s sitting beside me right now and I've heard of more than a few people with multiple Xbox 360s and PS3s.

[Oldskool]

Without a doubt it's got to be the PS2.

[A Black Falcon]

I think that the biggest success must be measured in raw sales and profitability. A huge innovation does nothing without sales. I would love to say the NES for its industry impact and legacy, but the sales don't support it enough in the face of the others.

Every generation sells more overall than the one before it, so by this standard the DS, Wii, or maybe PS2 (for the moment, before it gets passed by another major console; the DS is already past it of course) are the only choices... but given that every generation is more successful than the one before it, I'd think that some kind of model that takes that into account might make more sense. Should a system be considered a bigger success just because it had the good luck of coming out later and thus at a time when gaming was more popular than it used to be, as has been true in every console generation? I'm no so sure... no, something proportional would make more sense I think.

[migo]

I'd agree with that, there's also the consideration that success in one generation leads to success in the next. The PS1's market dominance gave the PS2 a huge leg up due to backwards compatibility as well as name recognition, and conversely the failure of the Saturn really dented the chances of the Dreamcast. The Xbox 360 is doing fairly well, but it didn't have a huge amount of momentum from the original Xbox.

The NES' success and market dominance set up Nintendo for a second round win with the SuperNES and I think strongly contributed to the GameBoy's success, and Nintendo's been riding that wave ever since, carrying them through two systems that were relative failures.

Comparatively, while the Atari was hugely successful in its own time, it wasn't enough to make the 5200 and 7800 successes. The PS2 similarly is a bit dampened in success as Sony entirely lost momentum, and I'm finding the PS2 sticking around to be rather similar to the 2600 sticking around and encroaching on the sales of its successor.

[bcks007]

Yeah, I was thinking about the Commodore 64 as well, the first home system I played a game on was a C64. I actually played on a Lynx before a GameBoy, so there's a bit of nostalgia for me there too.

When comparing sales it's always difficult because as time goes on there are more people. It used to be one TV in a household, now it's up to 1 TV per room in some places, and people are buying multiples of the same console. I doubt in the NES days you'd have a household with two NESes, but I've got two PS2s sitting beside me right now and I've heard of more than a few people with multiple Xbox 360s and PS3s.

I have 6 working ps2's right now, with 3 ps1's and a ps3. I do collect for the ps2, so that's my main reason for having so many.

[duffmanth]

If you're talking strictly sales, nothing comes close to the PS2 for consoles. The DS would rule the roost for hand helds I would imagine?

[Hep038]

I really do not see how it could be anything but Gameboy/Nes.